Flood in Iowa, July 16 to 18, 1996

Name: Flood in Iowa, July 16 to 18, 1996
Start: 1996-07-16T22:00
End: 1996-07-18T12:00
Location: Iowa

July 16 to 18, 1996 · NWS OAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The evening of July 16th thunderstorms produced a large area of 10 plus inches of rain from Monona County into Crawford County. Over half of Monona County averaged between 8 and 10 inches of rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.5 million
Crop damage: $27 million
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OAX wrote it up.

The evening of July 16th thunderstorms produced a large area of 10 plus inches of rain from Monona County into Crawford County. Over half of Monona County averaged between 8 and 10 inches of rain. 12.75 inches of rain was reported at the Castana Experimental Farm. Extensive crop damage resulted across the county. Damage was also done to roads and bridges.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Monona

When: July 16, 10:00 PM CST to July 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Monona forecast zone
Property damage: $1.5 million
Crop damage: $27 million
Coordinates: 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, July 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5557035.